Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Cockles

Here in Thailand shellfish are one of the main contributors of protein and one of the tastiest options that you can choose. Every night at the market you can find the freshest shellfish with a sweet smell of the sea. My new favorite thing that I have found is cockles, or small, sweet little shellfish that look like hearts and taste amazing. In Thai they are hoi kap (หอยกาบ). These little guys come on a plentiful plate with a spicy green birds eye chili sauce. It’s always about the sauces. You pry open the shells to find a beautiful fleshy inside that tastes sweet like the sea but also has this meaty side to it to seem like they are giving you plenty of substance. They are saltwater clams that I’m sure are pulled from the sea that day and brought straight to the market for me to eat. Every time I try a new kind of shellfish I just become more and more obsessed with them. They are so good, a fun hands on food and the sauces make them great.